ORBITAL THE
ISSUE 5 DECEMBER 2013
Merry Christmas COMMUNITY ACTION POP-UP SHOP
SEX SELLS: BUT SHOULD IT? ULU PRESIDENT ARRESTED CAPTAIN PHILLIPS MEAN GIRLS GET FIT FOR CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS DECORATION SOS! MINCE PIES & MULLED WINE
EDITORIAL BOARD Editor-in-Chief SIMON RAWLINGS Deputy Editor REBECCA HILSDON Executive Editor JAMIE GREEN Design Editor DAN KELLY Administrative Director GILLIAN CRAIG Sub-Editor MICHAELLA KOSSAKOWSKA News Editor CORINNA TAYLOR Deputy Editor BROOKE DAWSON Comment Editor JACK KILKER Deputy Editor ANTONIA KING Features Editor RACHEL IVENS Deputy Editor ALESSANDRO TRIDICO Lifestyle Editor BRYONY BOWIE Deputy Editor VICTORIA TIMMS Arts Editor NICHOLAS HYDER Deputy Editor CHARLOTTE COLE Sports & Socs Editor ALEX REILLY Deputy Editor NATASHA KHALEEQ
A
letter
from the
Editor-in-Chief
Welcome to our final issue of the year! By the time you read this it will already be the final week of term and less than three weeks until Christmas! As I mentioned in my last letter, the final week of term is traditionally filled with lots of hefty deadlines for many students across the whole university, I hope my advice on planing early paid off. To those of you that had deadlines, I hope you managed to hand your work in on time, and to those of you that didn’t have any deadlines at all, I (and I’m sure many others) envy you! With these deadlines out of the way I’m now more than excited to jump on a train home and spend Christmas with those close to me. I find the best part about Christmas isn’t about the presents, the food or the Christmas tree, but the quality time and beautiful memories I get to make with the important people in my life. I also find it quite therapeutic casting my mind over the year that has just passed and then looking towards the New Year and wondering what adventures it will entail. Wherever you are in the world this Christmas I hope you all have a well-deserved break and a fantastic time with whoever you chose to spend it with. Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
NEWS
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COMMENT
FEATURES
LIFESTYLE
ARTS
SPORTS&SOCS
DO YOU HAVE OPINIONS? Fantastic. DO YOU EAT? Sweet. DO YOU ENJOY DOING, WATCHING AND LISTENING TO STUFF? Superb, keep on reading. We want YOU to write for us, about pretty much anything. This is your chance to pose questions and spark constructive debates; to tell us about your trips around the world, be it personal adventures or a club tour; to criticise or applaud that gig you just came back from. Essentially, we want submissions about ANYTHING you feel that THE ORBITAL should be providing for you, the students, in each and every issue. The design of the magazine looks to frame your articles in a way that can be proudly presented to others, while also accomodating any external blog links you may wish to share. Win-win, right? For anything else that may interest you, the editor @ theorbital and deputyeditor @ theorbital addresses should provide you with all the information you need, as well as section editor email addresses at the bottom of most pages. We want quality content to keep coming in, so get involved now! DAN KELLY, DESIGN EDITOR
/theorbital
/TheOrbitalRHUL
The Orbital Board wishes you a fantastic Christmas holiday and New Year. We will be back in 2014! Photography The front page image was taken by Andrew Mitchell. All photography for THE ORBITAL is found online under Creative Commons authorisation or available for public access and use. Photos submitted by students will be credited on relevant image. All other credits are available, should they be required, by emailing design@theorbital.co.uk. Also, if you would like to get involved with the publication and its photography, please get in touch with the relevant section editor or Design Editor.
ULU PRESIDENT
NEWS
MICHAEL CHESSUM
ARRESTED
University London Union president Michael Chessum was arrested around noon on November 14th, in connection with the protest he had organized to demonstrate against the closure of the ULU the day before. The 150 protestors, composed of both current students and alumni, rallied in front of the Senate House. The protest was relatively peaceful, with only minor confrontations with the police. Some protestors had grappled with police while trying to get through the barricade and scale the railings. Despite the relatively peaceful nature of the protest, Chessum was still arrested outside the ULU building in Bloomsbury as he made his way back from a meeting with 04 | THE
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University of London management because he had failed to inform police of the protest. He was taken to Holborn Police Station. Supporters of the protest were outraged at the arrest. In a statement, ULU said: “This is a clear attack on the right to protest. It is a transparent and shameful attempt to intimidate students from demonstrating against the actions of university management.” A small group of students subsequently gathered at Holborn Police Station on the evening of his arrest in protest. The decision to close the ULU has been a controversial subject since the University of London announced
in May that it was shutting down its students union in August 2014, and replacing it with a management run services centre. Critics of the decision claimed that the decision was undemocratic and no student actually had a say in the decision. Supporters of the closing of the ULU, including director of SOAS at the University of London Paul Webley, defended the university’s decision by claiming that many of ULU’s functions were obsolete now that individual colleges had their own student unions. He also mentioned that fewer than 3,000 of ULU’s 120,000 student members voted in the most recent university-wide elections, and never received a turn-out higher news @ theorbital.co.uk
UNIVERSITY UK
NEWS
ADDRESSES CONTROVERSIAL
SPEAKERS ON CAMPUS University UK has recently released a new document calling into question the limits of free speech at universities. The advocacy group for UK universities released the guidance to help universities tackle the issue of managing controversial external speakers on campus. This is in light of the recent controversy caused by an Egyptian speaker, Mohamed El-Nabawy, who was forced to abandon a speech at London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies largely because of protests from the Muslim Brotherhood. Protestors backing Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood unrolled banners and started chanting, and ElNabawy had to be ushered off-stage by security guards. A spokesman for the university’s Palestinian Society, which organised the event, said: “While we fully respect, and understand, the highly-charged context of any discussion on contemporary Egyptian politics, we believe that the disruptions pre-empted any possibility of fruitful exchange. We apologise to our guests for any distress these events may have caused, and thank the SOAS staff for their cooperation and support.” The Universities UK’s guidance statement on the matter was the following: “Universities have to balance their obligation to secure free speech with their duties to ensure that the law is observed - which includes promoting good campus relations and maintaining the safety and security of staff, students and visitors. A number of criminal offences can be committed in spoken words, typically involving threats of violence or certain categories of ‘hate crime’.’’ The statement adds: ‘In practice, achieving this balance is not always easy.” Some speakers, it says “will express contentious, even inflammatory or offensive views”. Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union supported the document, saying: “Freedom of speech is a key tent of any democracy and one of the fundamental principles of a university. However, universities also have a responsibility to all their staff and students and must ensure that controversial speakers do not also bring with them any risk to the university or wider community.” BROOKE DAWSON
than 2 percent. The review which influenced the University of London’s decision was commissioned following a letter by five college student union presidents who stated they had considered leaving. The ULU is the largest students’ union in Europe, and provides a range of intercollegiate services in one building including bars, cafés, a shop, a swimming pool and a gym. Most importantly, it provides a support network and gives a voice to the students attending the various University of London universities, and is a public symbol of the University of London as a unified whole. One protester said: “ULU unites everyone within the University of London. It’s an incredible resource ISSUE 5
precisely because it is run by people with a vested interest.” Chessum said the decision had been a “cover” for the University who wanted to “steal” the Bloomsbury building and turn it into a “profitable students services centre.” As he told Times Higher Education: “It would set a dangerous precedent for university management to move in with no mandate and shut down democratically-run unions.’’ As a statement on the ULU website reads: “Student unions only exist because we fight for their existence. If ULU is closed, it will send a green light to university managements all over the country that they can get away with slashing student union
funding and taking over student-run services.’’ The statement also remarks on the loss of the most important part of the union: “ULU’s iconic and vibrant campaigns – on education cuts, housing, workers rights and liberation – will cease, and vital activities and services will be lost.” Chessum was eventually released after nine hours of custody at the police station. However, the conditions of his bail prevent Mr Chessum from taking part in any protest within half a mile of any university campus. As Chessum remarked as the protest drew to a close: “Let this be the beginning, not the end, of our fight. We have lots of work to do.” BROOKE DAWSON
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NEWS
ROYAL HOLLOWAY OUTREACH PROGRAM Royal Holloway’s Community Outreach Program has taken shape in a completely new way on the streets of Egham recently. A pop-up shop has recently opened up in Egham which is being used to explain to the local people what the community action team does, and the achievements they have had in the past. These achievements are numerous, and so far the programme has totted up 50,000 hours of volunteering in the local community. The programme has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, and so the pop-up shop offering accounts of the work undertaken by the group over
the last decade is the perfect way to commemorate their successes. On display within the shop will be schoolchildren’s entries for the SU’s ‘Happy Neighbours competition’ and advertisements for local charities and volunteering programs to help local people to get involved in the North Surrey area. There is also space within the shop for the donation of gifts for the ‘Santa’s Workshop’ initiative which provides food parcels and other Christmas goodies for elderly people within the area. The Community Action Programme has already been involved in outreach
programmes with local primary schools and coffee mornings for the elderly, to name just a couple of their past endeavours. The pop-up shop, which will hopefully be around for some time, is a positive new step for the programme and will hopefully be a source of lots of new brilliant outreach ideas. A special ceremony including RHUL Principal, Paul Layzell, and Yvonna Lay, Mayor of the Borough of Runnymede, saw the opening of the pop-up shop, and Layzell pronounced himself as “thrilled” to be a part of the opening of this next step for the Community Action Programme. JACK KILKER
GOVERNMENT SELLS OFF STUDENT DEBT The government has sold £890m of loans borrowed between 1990-1998 to reduce public sector net debt by £160m. The loans were bought by debt management consortium Erudio Student Loans. In response to criticism that the Government would be better off in the long run by keeping the debt, the Student Loans Company has replied that the loans, while holding a high price in theory, are becoming more and more difficult to collect. They “are a closed portfolio of ageing debts that are becoming harder to collect with time.” This comes as news that Student Loans worth £5 billion have been written off. The business department have lost the employment records of 368,000 students and therefore do not know if they are eligible to repay loans or not. It may then be wise for the Government to sell off the loans in one
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lump sum, but it doesn’t seem to be good news for students. Other critics have noted that in order to make a profit on this sale, the public sector would have to remove the cap on when the loan has to be paid back. At the moment, 46% of borrowers are earning below the repayment threshold and are therefore not paying back the loans. Despite student leaders gaining assurances from ministers that the conditions of the loans would not change, many note that it is impossible for ministers to make such assurances as they have no control over the actions of the private sector. “Borrowers will remain protected and there will be no change to their terms and conditions, including the calculation of interest rates for loans.” There are fears that this is only the first step in a process of privatisation, as the government announce they are
considering making all student loans private by 2015. This means that student loan repayments will become much harder, especially for those paying the post-2012 fee hike to £9000 a year. There has been anger and outrage in response to this news across campuses. On the 20th of November 2013, 25 universities have had student protests (with some students even occupying buildings). This is only the precursor to bigger protests planned to occur in February. NUS Black Students Officer and spokesperson for the Student Assembly Against Austerity Aaron Kiely said: “Our aim is simple: to force the government to back down and drop the planned privatization of student loans. The Student Assembly Against Austerity will be co-ordinating further actions on this issue in the New Year.” CORINNA TAYLOR
news @ theorbital.co.uk
NEWS
KINGSTON BECOMES 28TH UNIVERSITY TO BAN THE SUN NEWSPAPER ON CAMPUS
A SECOND WAVE OF STRIKES After the 31st
LONDON IS SECOND BEST STUDENT CITY IN THE
October strikes, employers decided not to WORLD London lost by only a couple of points for this College stores across the UK have begun banning the change the 1% price increase offer. This leads status to Paris, being described as a “a nerve-centre of to a second on the 3rd December. newspaper as part of a #NoMorePage3 campaign. global academia.”
Photo: Natasha Khaleeq
RHUL LECTURER IS DIRECTOR OF NEW FILM John Roberts, one of Holloway’s Media
Arts lecturers and winner of two BAFTA awards, has just directed a new film titled ‘Day of the Flowers’. It was released on the 29th November, achieving 60% on Rotten Tomatoes and 6.3/10 on IMDB.
NAKED CALENDAR RELEASED ON CAMPUS SURHUL has just shot its own Naked Calendar to raise money for RAG! It’s £7, featuring a range of clubs and societies, including Netball, MTS, MMA, Insanity Radio FM and many more (12 in total, funnily enough). This includes The Orbital Board (sorry)...
‘SELFIE’ TO BE INCLUDED IN THE OXFORD LANGUAGE DICTIONARY ‘Selfie’ beat ‘Twerking’ to
LONDON STUDENTS ARE THE HARDEST WORKERS A new survey from BlikBook
SU SAYS ‘GO SAFE OR GO HOME’ IN ANNUAL ‘SHAG’ WEEK CAMPAIGN! The SU ran its annual Sexual Health
become this year’s ‘Word of the Year’ after the use of the word increased 17,000% this year. It will now be included in the dictionary...wow.
has shown that London students spend 3 times more time discussing their studies online than other UK universities.
Awareness and Guidance week, from November 25th through to December 1st. This year’s campaign created more space within SUs to deal with key topics like consent.
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COLLEGE NEWS
MONEY MATTERS Managing your student finances doesn’t have to be stressful. Our financial welfare team within Support & Advisory Services are here to help you resolve any financial worries you may have, offering advice and guidance on a number of money matters. We all have to learn to budget and realise that budgeting is a difficult thing to do while a student – most of all when your friends are planning a big night out at the Students’ Union and you’re more concerned about how long you can eke out the pasta in your food cupboard. The student welfare team can offer top tips to help you. Look out for special offers and freebies when you’re out shopping or
online, take advantage of buy-one-getone-free offers, but don’t be lulled into buying something you don’t actually need just because it’s cheap! Don’t be put off by own brand goods – in taste tests very few people can spot any difference between them and the big brand names, and they’re much cheaper. Where possible, do some food shopping within a group so you’re not all buying two pints of milk and a loaf of bread and ending up with lots of waste. Get an NUS Extra card from the SU and take advantage of the savings it offers you on a wide range of services, including meals, nights out and travel. Use loyalty cards too - it might take a while to clock up the points, but “every little helps.”
Make a budget sheet on your laptop and enter in all your regular expenses so you know how much left you have to spend and don’t panic when the utility bill comes in. Very few students have the luxury of having saved every penny for the year ahead and need to find a parttime job to help their finances. It’s the easiest way to earn some extra money and can be good for your CV, so talk to the Careers Service about the vacancies they are advertising for. The SU and Campus Services also have a number of vacancies on campus if you want to keep it local. If you are struggling, don’t panic. Contact FinancialAdvice@rhul.ac.uk to get advice and support. HELEN GROENENDAAL
MULTI-MILLION POUND GRANT AWARDED TO TRAIN UK’S FUTURE SCIENTIFIC LEADERS Royal Holloway and eight other world-leading institutions have announced the creation of a new London NERC Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP), which will specialise in training the next generation of environmental scientists. As part of a £100 million investment, revealed by the Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts, the London DTP will allow postgraduate students to use environmental sciences to tackle the challenges facing the world today. It is one of 15 new DTPs across the UK, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), that were announced as part of NERC’s renewed
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commitment to postgraduate training. Professor Danielle Schreve, Director of the Centre for Quaternary Research at Royal Holloway, said: “The funding of the London NERC DTP cements Royal Holloway’s reputation for international excellence and innovation in environmental science. “The London DTP, a collaboration of world-leading institutions, is a truly exciting opportunity that will allow Royal Holloway and its partners to train the next generation of research leaders in this field.” The London NERC DTP brings together more than 375 academics working across most of
the environmental sciences. It is a unique collaboration between Royal Holloway, University College London, Birkbeck University of London, Brunel University, Institute of Zoology, King’s College London, The Natural History Museum, Queen Mary University of London and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Kew. The London DTP also includes strong links to businesses, policymakers, and public and third sector organisations, such as BHP Billiton, Forestry Commission, Lloyds of London, Microsoft International and Ove Arup and Partners Ltd. PRESS & PR OFFICE
news @ theorbital.co.uk
COMMENT
Make the Yuletide Gay Christmas – a time for giving and receiving; fairy lights; mince pies and those wonderful festive flavours which coffee shops make available for only a few joyous weeks of the year. It is also one of the most couple-centric times of year, a time when nobody wants to be on their own. And this is something that is definitely reflected in all of the marketing campaigns centred around this holiday. The two most recent editions of the now iconic John Lewis Christmas advert have summed up the modern understanding of this once purely Christian holiday: 2012’s featured a Snowman who trekked across a great distance to buy winter accessories for his Snowwoman, and 2013’s features a hare who buys his bear friend an alarm clock so that he will break his hibernation and awake in time to see Christmas day. Two important things arise from this comparison. The first is the depiction of the animal friends’ Christmas day: a time of merriment shared between friends all exchanging gifts, which essentially encapsulates the modern definition of Christmas, a time of giving and receiving, love and family. The second, sadly more cynical point is the emphasis of Snowman and Snowwoman. Sadly, not all members of society, and not all types of couple, are remembered in Christmas advertising campaigns. Despite the ever-growing tolerance and acceptance of LGBT individuals, it appears that there comment @ theorbital.co.uk ISSUE 5
is still no place for LGBT couples in this sadly hetero-normative holiday. Of course it would be ridiculous to even suggest that this highly anticipated, presumably multi-million pound advertising campaign should have starred a happy Snowwoman/Snowwoman, trans/ gender neutral Snow person or Snowman/ Snowman coupling. The LGBT community are still a minority and so it would be somewhat alienating to the majority if John Lewis or any other big company were to feature an LGBT couple in their Christmas advert. However, it cannot be denied that the LGBT community are heinously underrepresented around Christmas time. In a montage of couples, such as may appear in the recent Aldi advertising campaign for example, why should there not be a lesbian or gay couple? Members of the LGBT community celebrate Christmas too, and as Christmas is arguably one of the campest times of year (tinsel, glitter, fairy lights, excessive shopping etc.) why should they be excluded? If the religious aspect of Christmas was still as prevalent in mainstream culture then my argument here may be less valid, but, in everyday culture at least, the religious side has been somewhat diminished. This is in no way me stating that Christmas has been taken out of the hands of the Christian Church; of course it will
always be considered a religious holiday and for many people, even those who do not necessarily practice religion on a day-to-day basis, the Christian side of Christmas still plays a part. In my own family, for example, despite my own views on religion, we still watch the Midnight Mass broadcast on Christmas eve each year: it’s all a part of the experience of the holiday. Regardless, of how much of a role Christianity may play in the lives of each individual who celebrates Christmas, and regardless of the relations between the Church and the LGBT community, it is not right that some members of society who celebrate this holiday are absolutely being ignored in the marketing and paraphernalia which surrounds the 25th of December. I, in writing this article, am not asking you for a same-sex Christmas: I do not believe that high end companies have any obligation to feature same-sex couples as the snow-bodied stars of their multi-million pound Christmas advert, though of course it would be wonderful if they decided to do so. The purpose of this article is simply to state that there needs to be an inclusion of LGBT individuals in the wealth of advertising and entertainment which surrounds Christmas. Christmas is, in fact, for all, and is in no way a purely heterosexual holiday; if there’s one time of year to show love and acceptance and generosity, it’s definitely Christmas! JACK KILKER
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COMMENT
SEX SELLS should it?
BUT
It is that time of year again - no not Christmas - the time where all the sports clubs and societies on campus are invited to take off their clothes and have a picture taken for charity. Having posed for two shoots myself, I am obviously very much a fan of such a charity event, and taking my clothes off. However, my question is whether this is the best, or right way, for the clubs and societies to help raise money through RAG (Raise and Give)? Why does it have to be a naked calendar? Is a normal, fully clothed calendar not just as attractive to buy? It is for charity after all! Unfortunately, probably not. Why? Two words: sex appeal. Are we buying the calendar for a charitable cause or because we want to see the netball team, men’s rugby team or Ian Stewart naked? Would Beyoncé’s Single Ladies video be as popular amongst the Lads if it wasn’t for the very obvious sex appeal involved? Do these same Lads even know of or appreciate the skill required to choreograph and perform in such a way as Beyoncé did? Would the Pussycat Dolls Buttons video have got half as many YouTube hits if the video was a montage of actual buttons? I’d bet the buttons on my favourite cardigan the answer is ‘no’. Is using our sports teams and societies in a naked calendar for charity where the attraction isn’t the charity or even the calendar the best way to involve them in RAG? Would an event that involved all the members of said clubs and societies who didn’t want to get naked as well as the honorary nudists increase our money raising potential? In an ideal world maybe a massive bake sale or charity run 10 | THE
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would raise more money. Perfect, no? What could be the downside? Participation for one and the novelty of the occasion for another. Clubs and societies can hold fundraisers, host fun runs or bake cakes every week if they wanted to, but unfortunately, most choose not to do so. The general buzz the calendar creates is enough to ensure that no promotional work or advertising is required to sell copies; word of mouth does this very adequately. It’s a novelty purchase, only on sale for a limited time and an extremely good laugh for all those doing the shoot – even if I do say so myself! If the people involved are having fun and raising money for charity, it’s a win-win right? I mean, there is nothing to say you absolutely have to buy a calendar – you could just donate the £7? I suppose all things considered, the only question left to answer, even if you don’t agree with how the money is raised, is do the ends justify the means when it comes to the how much money is raised? ELLIS BELLE comment @ theorbital.co.uk
Sexiest Man ... IN EGHAM?
COMMENT
I quite like my face. Some people really like it (admittedly, those people are either biased, halfblind, or both – I’m looking at you Mum), and most people tolerate it. But, just on the off-chance you really object to my face (and you’d have every reason) you can now register your disgust through a new website that generously allows you to rate other people’s lovely mugs as ‘hot’ or ‘not’. What would possibly inspire me to expose my face up to such a public dressing down, you ask? Well, to be honest, I didn’t. But that’s ok, the friendly chaps at ratemash.com kindly harvest pictures from Facebook so you can get an honest opinion on your mug, without needing to go to all the fuss and bother of actually having to upload an image yourself. I’m not naïve enough to think that in this age of social media that even my image is entirely my own, but I’ve always rather hoped that those big, shady organisations out there wouldn’t put my face to uses too foul – after all, I’m hardly famous enough to be posthumously slapped onto a snazzy perfume ad, ala Grace Kelly – so it was with no small amount of unease that I browsed the pages of RateMash. I watched as images of people I knew or vaguely knew flashed across the screen – all neatly organised by University, and ranked by how many people had logged on to confirm that their face was officially ‘hot’. Of course, there’s the odd dog (literally) not to mention kids, toboggans and anything else you might have in
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your profile picture at the time of rippage (I know, brilliant system!). But don’t worry, this isn’t shallow aestheticism: every image is linked back to your profile, so anonymous admirers can get to know the ‘real you’. The logic behind all this? Well, the site claims that it brings people together – if you rate someone as ‘hot’ and they return the compliment, they’ll put you in touch – I think. In truth, the site’s message is so muddled that it’s hard to extract exactly what its purpose is beyond pure voyeurism (we are all voyeurs nowadays, anyway, right?) – there is some talk of getting ‘hot’ people together in the same places where they can presumably do the things that ‘hot’ people do together when not blighted by the presence of sickeningly mediocre looking folk. There’s also talk of ‘organising your social life’ for you – obviously, for an aggressively anti-social person like me this sounds pretty ghastly. After all, if my girlfriend can’t get me out in the world, I suspect RateMash won’t fare much better. As I write this, Facebook have issued a statement to say that they are investigating RateMash – and with any luck, by the time you’re reading this, there’ll be nothing to get annoyed about and we can all just go back to lovingly combing Facebook for our hourly fix of voyeurism. It’s rare that I want to publicise an enterprise like this, but RateMash seems to have been operating on the basis that if ‘no one notices, it’s probably alright to keep doing it’ – somewhat of a problematic business model – so on this occasion, I’m happy to go evangelical on this one: I want everyone who reads this article to log straight onto RateMash (come on, you were going to anyway, right?) and take in the absolute abuse of people’s privacy. So whether you’re officially the ‘hottest’ dude in Egham or you don’t even register in the top 50, get on it, get angry, and then do something about it! Lady Gaga might be urging you to do want you want with her body of late, but you can ruddy well keep your hands off my face. If you want to let Michael Healy, owner of RateMash, know what you think of his excellent site (or his face), do e-mail him at michaelhealy@ratemash.com – oh, and if you stop by the site, do rate me as ‘hot’ – I’m not sure my ego can stand being outside the top 10 a minute longer. MATTHEW SMITH
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MEAN GIRLS COMMENT
I was waiting for a train from Egham last Friday evening. It was cold, it was raining and I had run to the station thinking I would miss my train, only to find out that it was 6 minutes delayed. I was far from impressed. As I waited for the National Rail, I overheard a conversation between two other girls (hereon referred to as ‘X’ and ‘Y’) on the platform. X was venting to Y about another girl who had, from what I could deduce, slept with a boy in X’s bed at a house party. Hearing them laugh about how this girl was “such a slut”, I had to fight an urge to ask them why the boy wasn’t also being verbally attacked. Surely he was as responsible? I’ll admit, rather ashamedly, that I eavesdropped on their conversation until the train arrived, but only to regret it afterwards. The fact that I had only realized when I got to the station, that my student rail-card had expired the week before might have contributed to it, but I found myself profusely irritated by the way these girls were speaking. But what made it worse, and annoyed me even more, was that I knew I was guilty of similar behavior. Recent research into female aggression states that “intrasexual competition” is highly influential to behavioral patterns that you or I might simply call ‘being bitchy’. The Darwinian theory, that acknowledges the importance of intrasexual competition, states it is “a struggle between males for the possession of females”, but is not so developed in understanding reproductive-related competition amongst women. In fact, understanding female - female dynamics has been 12 | THE
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slow in development, “due to the inconspicuous nature of competitive interactions”. To quote Cady Heron, “all the fighting has to be sneaky.” When studying female aggression, researchers at McMaster University in Canada, conducted an experiment that would assess how women responded to a female rival. Women were brought to a laboratory in pairs, under the impression that they were to discuss the dynamics of female friendships. However, the research was to begin upon the entering of a woman, chosen by researchers, Tracy Vaillancourt and Aanchal Sharma, because “she embodied qualities considered attractive from an evolutionary perspective” (small waist and nice boobs). The way she dressed differed between the groups being surveyed, sometimes wearing a T-shirt and jeans, other times wearing a short skirt and tight low-cut blouse. The contrast in how the women reacted to the subject, depending on what she was wearing, was astounding. One girl even asked “what the [explicit] is that?” when the subject was less covered up. However, the girls’ behavior became most aggressive once the subject had left the room, with suggestions made that she had intentions of sleeping with one of the professors. After further testing, the researchers deduced that adolescent women were more likely to behave in this way than older women, who have less incentive to impede attractive peers once they are married. On the whole, when men are angry, they like to let you know about it. It’s a sign of dominance, which from an evolutionary perspective, presents
him as a protector and a provider. Women’s less explicit aggression towards one another however, has also been thought as having evolutionary roots, deriving from the balance of hormones. Put simply, a man’s dominant hormone is testosterone which contributes to overt aggression. If a woman displays her aggression too outwardly, she becomes in danger of appearing to have higher testosterone than average and is therefore less maternal. The evolutionary theories certainly contribute to the way that the sexes interact with one another in a social environment, however, I think it seems more apt to view them as starting points, rather than definitive explanations, in a modern age. If female back-stabbing is really all to do with reproduction, then surely it boils down to having more confidence in yourself as more than a baby machine. Rather than gossiping about the girl that always has her legs out at parties, why not approach her, and congratulate her for having such fortunate genes. I promise you’ll feel like a much better person, and all because you’re not being a mean girl. HANNAH PARTRIDGE
comment @ theorbital.co.uk
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FEATURES Last month saw the exciting launch of the Community Action’s first ever Community Pop-Up Shop! With speeches from the College Principal and the Mayor of Runnymede, as well as plenty of free Domino’s pizza, the opening was a great success. Located amongst the coffee shops of Egham’s high street, the opening established the shop as a hub for bringing Royal Holloway students and the local community closer together. The shop aims to promote the variety of project opportunities that volunteers at the university are involved with, and encourage further collaboration in volunteer work between Royal Holloway and the wider community.
WINTER POP-UP SHOP
Described by the Principal as an “innovative venture”, the shop offers a unique new space to host promotional events for charity, and for organisations to carry out workshops in the classroom area upstairs. As we close in on the winter season, the space also provides a cosy and social shelter for the elderly at coffee mornings, and will become a community collection point for our Santa’s Workshop initiative with Age UK Runnymede and Spelthorne. Open for six weeks only, if you or your society has an idea for how to use the space then please let Community Action know. Alternatively, look out for our programme of events, and next time you are in town enjoying a coffee, be sure to pop in and give us a visit! More information about the Community Pop-Up Shop and community volunteering can be found on Community Action’s website www.royalholloway. ac.uk/volunteering
MARIETTE TROTT COMMUNITY ACTION TEAM MEMBER 14 | THE
ORBITAL
features @ theorbital.co.uk
FEATURES Ballet fleeting bullet cut empty flumes through this, candles are cold lovers, they bother me.
We stow away our hurts in the gulf of wanting mouths,
soon striped of your Sunday dress,
you’ll wake with the same weight bare it to the break. The season is sick
but for the colours swapping shadows. And setback,
a breath away
shelved in soft sockets,
like jars of captured dawn,
Stow AWAY your eye lids loosen,
the tear caskets split on my fingertips, memories broke the balance,
your cheeks take the fallout. And these cracks now
are the low point in a long love.
WRITTEN BY LAURIE VENTERS
ISSUE 5
THE
ORBITAL | 15
FEATURES
WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW
ABOUT CHRISTMAS by ALESSANDRO TRIDICO
SO.
Coca-Cola ads on TV, wonderfully awful jumpers, the red special edition Starbucks cups... and everything falls into place: Christmas is here. It is that time of the year when we don’t have to feel guilty about staying indoors for days in a row, drinking gallons of hot chocolate and watching romantic comedies with friends or loved ones. The time of the year that, when we are not busy watching those movies or doing coursework and assignments, we are desperately obsessing over the perfect gifts to give, what decorations to put up and how to make the most out of the most jolly of all the holiday periods. Although the majority of us assume we know all there is to know about Christmas, from the older traditions our grandparents are keeping alive through to the Christmas trees we put up and the reasons we exchange gifts, it takes very little to realise, in reality, we don’t really know all that much!
I HAVE BEEN ON A QUEST
FOR KNOWLEDGE ON THE TOPIC OF
C H R I S T M A S AND THE RESULTS WERE ...ODD. - Only in A.D. 350 did Pope Julius, Bishop of Rome, proclaim Christmas and the birth of Christ to be on December 25th. - Scientists believe that most of Santa’s reindeer were actually intended to be female, including Rudolph, but advertising gimmicks seem to have altered this from the original tales. - Through studying Facebook data, it was found that the two weeks leading up to Christmas is one of the two most common times of the year to break up with your partner! - The song ‘Jingle Bells’ was originally written for Thanksgiving by James Pierpont in 1857 and titled ‘One Horse Open Sleigh’. - The tallest snowman was built in Main, America, standing at 113ft. - The chocolate gold-wrapped coins we find in our stockings are actually to celebrate St. Nicholas who gave bags of coins to the poor on the 6th December. - Each year more than 3 billion Christmas cards are sent in the U.S. alone. - Mistletoe (Viscum album) is from the Anglo-Saxon word misteltan, which means “little dung twig” because the plant spreads though bird droppings. - The Viking god Odin is one precursor to the modern Santa Claus. According to myth, Odin rode his flying horse, Sleipnir (a precursor to Santa’s reindeer), who had eight legs. In the winter, Odin gave out both gifts and punishments, and children would fill their boots or stockings with treats for Sleipnir. - In Poland, spiders or spider webs are common Christmas trees decorations because according to legend, a spider wove a blanket for Baby Jesus. In fact, Polish people consider spiders to be symbols of goodness and prosperity at Christmas. - All the gifts in the Twelve Days of Christmas would equal 364 gifts. 16 | THE
ORBITAL
features @ theorbital.co.uk
FEATURES
SURHUL ON TOUR:
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST FEES AND CUTS
CONFERENCE 2013
by Jack Saffery-Rowe Last weekend, myself and ten other Royal Holloway students and alumni travelled to Birmingham University for the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts (NCAFC)’s national conference. NCAFC is a national network of anti-cuts groups and activists, which co-ordinates campaigns around education, housing, the NHS, workers' struggles and liberation. We stand for free, democratic education and the abolition of debt through the taxation of the rich. Joining over 100 members of the campaign from universities across the UK, student activists came together to discuss the future of the campaign over the next year and to elect the National Committee for that term. Politically, this conference was immensely successful on several fronts: (1) We, the campaign, have managed to galvanise and organise the campaign into what it was established to be: a network of anti-cuts groups organising against austerity with a clear, radical programme. (2) We have maintained and cemented our no-bullshit policy to oppressive behaviours, particularly in regards to Socialist Party loyalists' abuse apologism. Our campaign proved that it had no time for party members who were alleged to be covering for one of their ex-member’s (a claim they denied) domestic abuse levelled against him by his ex-partner. This made me immensely proud of our campaign. (3) We have elected a strong national committee as well as strong, organised liberation caucuses. This includes a new set of local groups on the national committee which will help aid the connection between the National Committee and local, grassroots activism. (4) We have set out a clear direction to take through the policy passed. We have committed to fighting: against the marketisation of HE and cuts to benefits for students, for student-worker solidarity in education and across the public sector, for international solidarity with Greek struggles, for the proliferation of left-wing discussion groups (such as RHUL Left Forum) and to continue campaigning on student housing. (5) And finally, we have shown, both on conference floor and on the cold forecourt of the Aston Webb building, solidarity with University of Birmingham Occupation who are fighting their university management who took out an injunction against them which sparked a demonstration of over 200 students and alumni on Tuesday.
The National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts is active across many campuses across the United Kingdom. Membership costs only £1 and you can join today at www.anticuts.com
ISSUE 5
THE
ORBITAL | 17
Dinner Dining to Disco Dancing LIFESTYLE
With the lights now lighting up the West End and the tear-jerking John Lewis Christmas advert appearing on TV, Christmas cheer is definitely in the frosty air. Christmas time is always about glitz and glam; from tinsel-drowned Christmas trees and the glittery cards that leave you twinkling for days, to the essential festive garments. It is unquestionable that we’ll be laden in metallic colours, sequins and sparkles this month; whether that’s your outrageous Christmas jumper you wear whilst devouring the turkey, or your Allsaints embellished New Year’s Eve dress that makes you more twinkly than the Oxford Street Christmas lights. Your outfits
this Christmas will be unable to escape the sparkle! It has become common in households at Christmas to compete over the most festive jumper. I have seen extreme Christmas jumpers with 3D stuffed carrots to emulate a snowman, and classier, more wearable jumpers in Topshop with sequin detailing in the shape of a bow, which gives the impression that you’ve been wrapped up and transformed into a present. Such Christmas jumpers are great to wear with a pair of jeans or leggings, and an essential pair of fluffy slippers whilst lounging indoors. Regardless of how old you are, you can ALWAYS get involved in the festive spirit. Moving onto the opposite end of the
spectrum is the New Year’s Eve fashion, where we shift away from cosy jumpers to don uncomfortable platforms (accompanied by numerous blisters) to celebrate the all-important midnight countdown. It’s unsurprising that the most common questions I’m beginning to hear already revolve around New Year’s Eve plans. Ergo, it is essential to stop studying and start shopping for that snazzy statement piece! Options range from metallic lurex jumpsuits in Topshop, to sequins or embellished dresses, skirts of all lengths, tops and shorts… there is an endless selection to choose from with High street shops catering for this month’s glamorous needs!
This month, Mac are setting the holiday make-up trend with their newly launched ‘Limited Edition Divine Night Holiday Collection’ – a gorgeous range of shimmery baked Mineralize shadows in deep bronzes, purples and blacks, perfect for creating a dramatic smoky eye. Mac make-up can be pretty pricey on a student budget (I’ll be putting it on my Christmas list), so this tutorial takes its inspiration from Mac and helps you imitate the look at a more affordable price. First of all choose your colours. You will need three hues: a classic smoky eye is created with black, blue or grey; bronze and brown are also commonly used. For this look I used MUA’s ‘Dusk Til Dawn’ palette. Take your medium shade and apply all over the eyelid as a base colour. Next, apply your
darkest shadow to add definition. Sweep across the socket in a ‘C’ shape starting from the middle of your eyelid, working outwards, and use the brush to build up colour on the eye’s external corner. Wet the tip of your brush and line the eye contour with the same colour. Apply your lightest shade under the brow bone, and apply to the inner corner to add a light touch of colour. Add two slicks of mascara to build up a smoky eye around the lashes. Finally, use a black kohl pencil liner on the waterline and bottom lashes. I also like to add liner above my upper lash line for further dramatic effect. To complete your Christmas party look, why not add a touch of glitter? I recommend the NXY ‘Glitter Cream Palette’ in ‘One Night in Luxy’, or MUA’s ‘Luxe Glitter Palette’ in ‘Rock Chic’. Use your fingertip
to apply a light layer on top of your smoky eye and stop at the crease. Apply below the lashes for a more intense look.
Smokey Eyes for the Holiday Season
18 | THE
ORBITAL
MAISIE BOVINGDON
ARAMINTA PENDER (ARTICLE & PHOTOGRAPHY)
Divine Night: Holiday Colour Collection Mineralize Eye shadow £19.00, www.maccosmetics.co.uk MUA Dusk Til Dawn Palette £4.00, Superdrug NYX Glitter Cream Palette, One Night in Luxy £6.00, www.nyxcosmeticsstore.co.uk MUA Luxe Glitter Palette, Rock Chic £4.00, Superdrug lifestyle @ theorbital.co.uk
FACES OF HOLLOWAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY GYAN GURUNG
ZARA BELLOS My name’s Zara and I’m from London. I’m studying Mathematics & Psychology and am in my final year at Royal Holloway. I mainly get my style inspiration from my Mum; she has a very interesting and unique style. This leads to me looking around lots of quirky shops, such as charity shops, so that those one-of-a-kind items can be pieced together to form an individual style. This year I want to study hard to get my degree. After that I want to travel Asia, doing some volunteer work on the way. My top tips for keeping your look unique: people are too obsessed with shopping for their overall outfit, or out of necessity. I see clothing as something that I can wear like a piece of art.
LIFESTYLE
Student-Style Student-Style Christmas Christmas I’M I’M DREAMING DREAMING OF OF A A
Mulled Mulled Wine Wine 2 bottles of red wine
6 tbsp honey/light brown sugar 2 oranges 2 lemons 2 cinnamon sticks 8 cloves 2 tbsp of grated nutmeg
1 2 3 4
Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the sugar, cloves, cinnamon sticks and nutmeg. Grate the lemon and orange zest over the pan, then squeeze in their juices. Let this simmer for about 5 minutes, then, once a syrup begins to form, pour in one of the bottles of wine. Bring to the boil and allow the mixture to bubble for a further 5 minutes, then add the last bottle of wine. Keep on the heat until it’s at a good drinking temperature, then pour into glasses or mugs and serve.
As we approach the end of a long, deadline-filled term and begin to reap the rewards of the Christmas season, why not enjoy a well-deserved break with a sip of mulled wine. Not the fancy, Chianti-kind your parents make though – this one is quick, easy and cheap to make. ALETHA ADU (Article) & BRYONY BOWIE (Photography)
Mince Mince Pies Pies to make 12 225g plain flour pinch of salt 60g caster sugar 125g unsalted butter, chilled and diced 1 orange 2tbsp cold water jar of mincemeat a cupcake/muffin tin, greased
FOR A PLETHORA OF FOODIE TIPS AND IDEAS, CHECK OUT: www.thisisunifood.blogspot.com 20 | THE
ORBITAL
With Christmas just around the corner, the whole country has entered whole-heartedly into the festive spirit – students included. The problem is, the vast quantities of Yule logs, paper chains and fake snow which accompany this can get very pricey. How to get around this? Make things yourself! This recipe only takes about 15 minutes of actual work, and the results are superb. Plus, there’s nothing quite like coming back from lectures to a house bursting with the warming smells of baking and spices. BRYONY BOWIE (Article & Photography)
1
Mix together the flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and, using the tips of your fingers, rub the flour mixture into it until it resembles breadcrumbs. Grab a cheese grater and grate the zest of the orange over the bowl, then mix this through so the zest is evenly distributed.
2
Half and squeeze your orange, and measure out 2tbsp of the juice. Add this to the flour mix along with the water, and work until a smooth dough forms. You can add more water if necessary, but be careful not to over-do it: you need just enough to make a dough.
3 4 5
Wrap your dough in clingfilm and pop in the fridge for at least half an hour (or as long as you need) before rolling out on a floured surface. Grab yourself a large and a medium pastry cutter (or a big and small mug. I sometimes use Tupperware) and cut shapes from the pastry. Place the larger shapes into the moulds of your greased cupcake tin. Spoon enough mincemeat into each pastry case to make them about three-quarters full, then place the smaller pastry circles on top and press together. Use a knife to poke a couple of air holes in the top, then bake in a pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes at 200°C, until golden. lifestyle @ theorbital.co.uk
LIFESTYLE
Decoration
SOS!
Living away from home has plenty of perks, but when it comes to Christmas we all miss its comforts. The boxes of chocolates dotted around the house for unexpected guests, the bauble-adorned tree, and not to mention, of course, the roaring fire, which many of us students go without thanks to the hefty price of bills. So how, on a student budget, can we bring the warmth of Christmas to our noisy halls and damp student houses? Too many mass produced Christmas reindeers sit in the windows of semidetached houses up and down the country, so I say homemade decorations are the answer. Whilst this may be received with an eye roll from one or two, they not only do the job, but half the fun is in the making. First of all we start with a tree. Now, I wouldn’t advise taking the nearest chain saw and helping yourself to one of Royal Holloway’s; this will have its consequences. But natural is the key, and as they say, size really doesn’t matter. In fact the smaller the better – after all, not many of us are blessed with a garden big enough to fit a 6ft tree, let alone a lounge. Next for the baubles. There are plenty of cheap ways to decorate the tree (I do recall the use of toilet paper last year), but not all are original. Yes the fairy at the top of the tree is a classic, but there is a decoration that pleases both the eyes (and nose) for this year. All you require is some fruit, preferably the zesty type: limes, oranges, and lemons. Leave these to go stale – a crime, I know, in the world of student economisation! Slice the oranges and place on a baking tray covered with cinnamon or brown sugar, cook until dried out and decorate with whatever you fancy. Ribbons and glitter usually do the trick, and the whole thing leaves your room smelling wonderfully festive; an ISSUE 5
effective way to mask the smells of vodka and jager. Another decoration that is less, how shall we say… conventional, is the toilet paper wreath. Done well, it could be a bespoke piece of artwork, sold in any top price home store… kind of. Take about nine toilet roll tubes and paint them your colour of choice, (in keeping with the festive spirit, red, white or green would be perfect) and then glue together in a wreath-like arrangement. Hang from a ribbon, and these are a simple way to give the Christmas feel to any corridor. The final decoration for you superscrimpers is the homemade Christmas candle holder – a guaranteed winner with mothers everywhere. Take a small jam pot (or just a small glass container) and a tea light; these are our building blocks. Then, gather a collection of
supplies (some of which can be founded from garden shrubs) and unleash your creativity. I’ve gone for a silver theme but really it’s down to preference – use a ribbon for the top of the glass and add a small amount of foliage inside, pop the tea light in and we have a winner. Just keep an eye on it (as with any candle), to make sure the base doesn’t get too hot – much as we’d all love a log fire to warm our hands on, trying to create our own one of those wouldn’t be the best idea! This Christmas try something friendly on the purse – homemade decorations can be made with friends and wine (although wine should be monitored to avoid injury and disaster), so that the home-comforts of Christmas reach even the student halls of Holloway. ALICE FARKAS (ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY)
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Christmas
LIFESTYLE
AROUND THE WORLD
Around 20% of students at Royal Holloway come from outside the UK, and many more have family history and traditions based on a huge range of cultures. THE ORBITAL takes a closer look at what December 25th means in different parts of the world, away from the traditional British fare.
Sweden
by Pauline Smitz
Snowflakes fall as heavy as the rain, and land upon the windowsill like a duvet of silk. A singing mother who cannot find the tone cooks a Christmas porridge for breakfast with a sparkle in her eye as she drops in the peeled almond. The excitement builds, as we wonder who will receive the almond. The almond symbolises the next person to be wed – I have my fingers crossed for this year. Donald Duck at three o’cluck and a glass of the fantastic Swedish Christmas root beer. One after the other and with a smile of sugary teeth, nothing is more suitable than rich, milky chocolate to follow. While opening the presents by the majestic pine tree (that we got ourselves from behind the house), father laughs lightly and requests more mulled wine, and a crackle of fire soothes the mood. A rhyme goes over the line and tricks our minds. Winter joy; we were all in laughter. God Jul Allihopa! (Merry Christmas Everyone.)
Pakistan
by Sami Roberts
Both holidays have a feast for a dinner, both have one commemorative day with a month of tradition surrounding it; both have the exciting exchange of gifts. But the most underrated and admirable quality that the Muslim celebration Eid-Ul-Fitr has to differentiate itself from Christmas is its aspiration to encourage people to have self-control, forgiveness, and making amends. For one entire month, as first year Faizan Chaudhrey describes, he and his family fast from sunrise to sunset, refraining from any food or drink during the daytime. He describes the challenge, and the thoughtfulness it takes to make sure they eat normal sized meals during the night to keep their metabolisms working healthily during this tradition. The climax of this month-long celebration peaks after the last day of fasting, Eid-Ul-Fitr, where Faizan Chaudhrey says he and his siblings will wake up and enjoy “a special Eid breakfast” that his mum makes to begin the day. Following this, Chaudhrey will go with his younger brother, his dad, and granddad for an “Eid prayer.” Eid-Ul-Fitr ends with a great feast, and all twenty-one members of the family opening an envelope with money or a present from each of the elder family members. Along with family photos taken to document the memory, his family will all wish each other not Merry Christmas, but “Eid Mubarak”.
Australia
by Kristen Houghton
Picture this: your family is gathered around for Christmas dinner. Everyone’s smiling and laughing – there’s grumpy grandpa in the corner and that one drunken Uncle singing carols. Now picture that everyone is in a singlet (a “vest”), shorts and thongs (flip flops) and that Christmas dinner is a seafood platter, or a smoking BBQ in the back yard. Christmas in Australia is a completely different experience to Christmas in Britain. Temperatures can reach a scorching 35° in some parts, and there is literally no chance of a white Christmas! Christmas carols in Australia have a completely different theme to them too, like this Aussie adaption to Jingle Bells:
“Engine’s getting hot, we dodge the kangaroos, the swaggie climbs aboard, he is welcome too, All the family’s there, sitting by the pool, Christmas Day, the Aussie way, by the barbecue!” Christmas to me will always be sitting back with the family, knocking down a few beers, eating delicious seafood and sweltering under the sun. Maybe a game or two of backyard cricket. Even though we are a part of the commonwealth, we don’t get the Queen’s speech; even the Doctor Who Christmas Special is on boxing day! While the Brits are exchanging scarves, gloves and socks, we are exchanging water pistols and stubby holders (beer coolers). Although there may be differences, Christmas in both parts of the world will still be about family and spending time with loved ones – even if you’re boiling!
22 | THE
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lifestyle @ theorbital.co.uk
Coriolanus
ARTS
with ROCHENDA
AN INTERVIEW
SANDALL BY CHARLOTTE COLE After the discovery that Coriolanus at the Donmar Theatre was sold out, I spoke with Rochenda Sandall, who in her first ever interview spills the beans on working with the director, the politics of the play and what it is like to be in your first major show.
What is your role in the play? I am a part of the ensemble, with four other actors. We create the atmosphere; help to fill out the scene, playing multiple characters and things of that sort. It’s a lot of fun! The team are very open and are very generous with their ideas, which we all bring in from preparation that we have done at home. You have to prepare as much as you can to help with the characterisation. It’s all give and take, you share everything. It’s exciting to be in this, I graduated just over a year and a half ago, so it’s great to work with such a good team.
You said that you were playing multiple characters, how do you make each one different? When we switch between characters, we subtly change accents; the Volskis are from Leeds whilst the Romans have a London accent. As part of our research, each character is given a background, they have a history. This helps with the characterisation itself. We work a lot with Josie [Rourke, the director], who is great to work with, she has a personal approach to directing, she doesn’t force anything on to you, everything grows organically.
I suppose that the recognisable dialects update the play in a sense. Do you think that this makes the play more accessible, in terms of the language and themes? Well, the politics of the play are extremely relevant to a modern audience. In Coriolanus, we see everything from the perspective of the normal folk, or plebs as they were known, it’s about their views on the country politics and how it is run. How can you run a country when you don’t know the lives of its people? It’s the same idea that is constantly spoken about on TV, there is a demographic of the population that are unheard and being working class myself, I see the relevance of this play as mirroring 2013 England; we seem to be on a seesaw when it comes to politics. Man never learns from its mistakes. They play itself contains riots, which directly relates to the very same riots we had not only two years ago. We took from that experience of it and applied it to this production. In terms of the language, as you say, is made more accessible due to the urban dialects, the audience are able to relate to it more.
In terms of accessibility to seeing the play itself, the NT Live scheme plan on showing Coriolanus live on January 30th 2014. What’s your opinion on live streams of theatre? Personally, I think that it is fantastic that a show can be seen across Britain, and the world, live. I can have friends from abroad see the same production that I am watching whilst seated in the theatre itself. There is a lot of rehearsal with the cameras so that the audience can get the most out of the screenings, also so that we know where we can move. The Donmar itself is a small space and generally, theatre can be quite expensive and so it helps to widen the scope. Any type of live television is exciting. ISSUE 5
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ARTS
THE BENEFITS OF R ‘Variety is the spice of life.’ What a bland cliché. E At university gone are the days where your timetable was filled with numerous subjects, fuelled by reluctant A study (why did I take Art for A Level?). Of course this is positive in terms of fully channelling our minds, D but it can be easy to become a victim of the ‘funnel’, compressing us and forgetting that variety which is I so valuable. N How can we attain such diversity without the unwilling blandness? Recent studies in the US, G authored by psychology professor Emanuele Castano and PhD candidate David Comer Kidd, have shown that simply reading literary fiction for pleasure makes us a better-rounded person. In the UK, a large 66% of us name reading as a ‘popular pass time’- particularly interesting considering that the figures for the US are less than 50%. The recent research revealed that the literary fiction readers where more aware of the emotions of others, as opposed to those who only read popular fiction. As part of the experiment they had to identify what a photographed person was feeling through only their eyes, along with other similar tests. The readers of literary fiction performed with “greater accuracy” in this very area, revealing them to be much more empathetic- an essential life skill to have. This study is very beneficial in a practical and academic sense. Psychologists believe that research such as this is useful for the rehabilitation of prison inmates and also aiding those with autism. The influence that the text has on the readers (subconsciously too, it would seem) will also open discussion on the impact of the relationship between author and reader. It would appear that by writing and publishing thoughts and feelings, even in a fictitious sense (with refinement, of course), we are educating and sharing experience with each other. The thought that we are doing this with people who died thousands of years ago, as well as those living in the present day, is rather extraordinary and makes us just about as varied and spicy as one can be. JESSICA REEVES
L I T E R A R Y
UNIVERSITY OF LONDON: PA R T I hope you’ve taken advantage of all the wonderful opportunities discussed so far in this series and seen all the campus events and shows, from Little Shop of Horrors to Trainspotting. Perhaps you’ve even ventured to London (or Paris!) to see other University of London shows. Now, in our final part of our three part feature on the University of London, King’s College tell us what kind of things happen on their campuses!
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King’s College London apparently have a society for everything. I myself, as well as being the arts editor for Rogue (Roar!’s culture pull out), I also am the general secretary of the KCL Baking Society. As fun as it sounds (we sit and eat cake at our socials), it just demonstrates that there really is the capacity for just about any society. Something which I am looking forward to collaborating with is the KCL Comedy Society. In my first year, I went to one of their comedy gigs at a local pub. Not everyone was a hoot: I recall one particularly awkward act with silence from the audience. But the camaraderie of cheering on and laughing at some genuinely talented stand-up comedians is as good an excuse for a pint as any. Notable societies also include All the King’s Men (a dynamic acapella group, who I still remember singing at my freshers’ induction) and The King’s Players (the leading theatre society within King’s) – groups which consistently put on innovative and thrilling plays and productions. The King’s English Society also stage a play production every year, which is a real collaboration of talent – through the pitching process of what play to run, to the final performances. Another lively group of students are the KCL Opera Society. I saw a production of The Magic Flute, which although was performed in the chapel so I couldn’t feel my buttocks after the full production, the talent and sheer majesty of the operatic performance was brilliant. They have been growing into bigger and better things, which is exactly what societies should do – encourage each other to achieve their potential. What’s really nice about arts and theatre societies at King’s is that you can go and cheer on your friends, get cheap tickets to a bit of culture if you’re bored of Walkabout and go and show support for your fellow students. JESSICA MOFFATT-OWEN
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ARTS
This month, Hoxton Hall is transformed into a slice of early 20th Century America in The El Train, an adaptation of three Eugene O’Neill oneact plays directed by Sam Yates and starring Ruth Wilson, who also co-directs. We caught up with Yates about directing this new piece. NICHOLAS HYDER
Where did the idea for staging these three plays together as The El Train come from? I was reading around O’Neill’s early works and put together a reading of about six of them in January, and got some actors together including Ruth Wilson, Andrew Scott and Matthew Marsh, people who know their American drama. We read through them all and about four of them pinged out at us as being interesting, then thematically I just started to see links between these three. They’re all set in an apartment, for example, they all involve a child dying or a dead child in some way, they’re all about people down at heel with no money, so there seemed to be natural links between them. They’re also by chance spaced out between his early years – 1913, 1915 and 1918 – so I just, over time, they just suggested themselves as three that might work.
What’s it like directing Eugene O’Neill for the first time? He’s amazing. As with all great writers you have to just follow his lead, and my job is to look after what he’s written and preserve what he’s trying to do. He’s specific with his stage directions, famously, and there’s a reason. You try alternatives based on what happens in the room and actually you realise that what he’s written is usually the best version so I’m being guided by his hand. You can’t hide from his writing: he writes big, he writes about big themes, he writes big interesting characters, and you have to trust him and just be very fearless.
What it’s been like co-directing this project? It’s fantastic. Ruth Wilson is, obviously, a tremendous very special talent, as an actor and certainly as a director, so it’s been wonderful. She has a huge knowledge of O’Neill, she has really great taste, so we’ve been working together closely from the start, from conception, so it’s been very fruitful and harmonious. Helpful, of course, for a director to be able to share ideas and collaborate genuinely, so it’s been great.
What’s the location of Hoxton Hall adding to the overall piece? It’s historic (built in 1863), it has great height and natural in built levels, and gorgeous acoustic. Visually, also, it works with these plays. They’re Greek style plays in a poetically naturalistic world, so the venue and its history and the idea of the stories that have gone through it over the last hundred-and-whatever years feed into the kind of timeless epic quality of what O’Neill’s writing. It’s a human struggle. It also is a venue that was established to bring the arts to people who were on the fringes of society back in 1863 and, in the same way, O’Neill was writing these plays about people on the fringes of the society and wanted to do something anti-Broadway. I’m not saying we’re anti-West End but we’re certainly choosing to do something in a different venue that has challenges and great perks.
The evening is going to end with “Live music and hard liquor”… If you like it that way… We’ve got a bar that’s based on the Hell Hole Saloon that’s being designed by the same design team who are doing the production and some of the musicians who are playing in the show itself will continue to play in the bar so there’s a bleed through into the other space. We wanted to try and evoke the spirit of the Hell Hole Saloon through alcohol and music. You don’t have to drink, of course…
There was an interview with Michael Grandage recently where he singled you out. Having worked with him in the past what was it like to be singled out by him? It means a huge amount. I was extremely touched by that and energised by it as well, of course. Michael’s a huge supporter and mentor and continues to be. He’s a fearless promoter of the next generation of directors and actors and writers, so it meant a huge amount. Yeah, indeed! 26 | THE
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arts @ theorbital.co.uk
SPORTS & SOCIETIES
fitnesssociety KEEP FIT AND HEALTHY THIS CHRISTMAS WITH SURHUL’S
Christmas is around the corner and this is usually the time when people tend to pack on the pounds through a lack of exercise and extra food consumption. We will be exploring 5 points that can potentially help you to keep fit and to keep the pounds off during these winter months.
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drink plenty of water
This is a tip that is often associated to the summer months; however, it also serves its purpose during the winter months. Water can help us to counter the dehydrating effects of alcohol. Drinking water can help to fill your appetite, as often thirst can be mistaken for hunger.
don’t skip meals!
Many families have a tendency to miss meals and eat a larger Christmas meal in the evening. The later you eat and the more you eat, therefore, the less chance you have throughout the day to burn the calories off.
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don’t drink yourself silly!
Watch your alcohol intake. Especially the sweeter alcoholic beverages as they all add to your end calorie count. These tend to be empty calories - calories without nutritional benefit.
exercise when you can
This doesn’t mean you have to go to the gym. Walk to the local store, take the stairs instead of the lift, and go on walks with the family. Use your in intuition.
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(and maybe the hardest) choose your desserts wisely
Again, like alcohol, the calories from deserts will add up. Try limiting yourself to seasonal desserts that are only available during the winter months.
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SPORTS & SOCIETIES
NOT JUST THE ‘G’ IN by JACK KILKER
So far this year, the society has hosted Welcome events for Freshers and the yearly Rainbow Rave held at Medicine, an LGBT themed night which raises money for charity. It was a wonderful night and the money we raised this year has gone to the Terrence Higgins Trust which works to raise HIV awareness. The new committee this year are really looking to collaborate with similar societies and get involved with the landmark weeks throughout the year, such as Mental Health Awareness week for example. A key focus will also be to offer advice
LGBT+
and support throughout the year, not just relying on these designated days, through the organising of guest speakers, film showings and workshops. We will also be holding our own LGBT film festival, running in line with the official festival in London, and will show separate films relating to each branch of the society across one week in the second term. This will also include lectures and discussion forums which relate to each of these films and subcategories under the societies umbrella. It promises to be a very exciting
year with a drastic increase in the number and variety of socials from the previous year, and there will also be a massive emphasis on welfare and LGBT theory, through talks and film showings. We hope to do a lot of important campaigning throughout the year also to reach as many students as possible! Lastly we just want to remind everyone on campus that we are here to help should you need us; we’re always here with open arms and you can join at anytime throughout the year so please do get involved or speak to us if there’s something which you think we might be able to help you with!
TO WA cheer
I am going into my third year of training and WHY NOT KEEP THE FESTIVE competing with an RHUL ‘ ’ ALL YEAR? sports team. Over the by GABRIELLA GHELANI last several years, the RH At which point, I couldn’t help but Tomcats have won more trophies for our university than any other team and laugh. Cheerleading is not what you all see in American films. We work hard hope to be winning more this season! We train up to 11 hours every week at training and pride ourselves on the with many additional hours taught by physical exertion it takes to hit our our own professional coaching team, stunts, jumps and tumbles in a routine. as well as external coaches, to work on Nothing is more rewarding. Going out onto a mat in front of our skills and improve our abilities. You may have seen us around campus; 10,000 people to show off what you the occasional flash of purple and have worked on for hours on end, green, disregarding us with the ‘ditsy’ sweat, blood and tears, is the best feeling I’ve experienced to date. stereotype of what a cheerleader is. With two competitive cheer But our cheerleading squad squads, four stunt teams, a jazz and couldn’t be further from that. I know what everyone a hip-hop dance team; of which the originally thinks about latter recently won a place at the us; hundreds of freshers Cheerleading Worlds competition rocked up a few weeks 2014 in Florida; it’s safe to say we hold ago and immediately a pretty high name for ourselves in the started with the expected cheer community. We train hard. We play hard. We’re questions. ‘So, do you have, like, a family as well as a squad, as it’s all pompoms and stuff and about teamwork. Not skimpy outfits spell letters with your and pompoms. What we do is tough (take it from the black eyes, bruises arms?’ NO. Dear god NO. ‘If I want to join cheer, do I have and wide range of injuries) but is so to eat nothing but salad for the entire fulfilling when we return home with the trophies to show for it! year?’ HELL NO! 28 | THE
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sportsandsocs @ theorbital.co.uk
SPORTS & SOCIETIES
Our women’s team have made a very strong start to the season having already put Brunel and Brighton to sword – whitewashing both sides 3-0. Imperial College could only muster up a slight resistance with the ladies of Holloway winning once again, this time 3-1. With only one blemish on their record this season – a loss to Westminster - the girls and coach Emanuel Balsamo are confident that they will take the win on their upcoming games against Portsmouth on 27th November and 4th December, as well, so if you want to become part of the Volleyball magic head down to Egham Leisure Centre on 4th of December at 15:00 and see how the girls kick ass. December is a tough month for our boys as they have three games against Sussex on 1st December; Buckingamshire on 4th and Kingston on 11th, unfortunately all of them
ONCE AGAIN RHUL Volleyball
by ANELI MIHAYLOVA
away but keep an eye on our website to check how they have performed. With one win and one loss so far, December could really shape their season! The mixed team has also contributed to the Club’s performance with a win against UCL two weeks back. The club has a very good mixed team so if anyone feels they want to take part in the mixed team competitions all you have to do is turn up to the Be.active sessions on Monday evenings at 21:00 in the Sport Centre and you might be picked to join the next game. Come join us for our biggest event of the year on November 30th – the Student Cup! The event is running for the whole day so there will be plenty of opportunities and intense games. The event takes place at the National Volleyball Centre, Kettering Conference Centre, Northants, NN15 6PB. If there are any volleyball enthusiasts feel free to join us!
ATCH Hindu Society
DIWALI BALL EXTRAVAGANZA
by RADHIKA BADIANI
On the 16th of November 2013, sixty members of RHUL Hindu Society were excited, dressed up and ready to party! We travelled to Kassam Stadium for the annual Diwali Ball hosted by Oxford University’s Hindu Society. We celebrated Diwali with the Oxbridge students in true style and with the glitz and glamour it deserves! Upon arrival we were greeted by a golden human statue, traditional Henna tattoo artists, a drinks reception and delicious Indian canapés. After plenty of photo opportunities for the girls in their dazzling saris and the guys in their sparkly sherwanis, we were escorted outside to the courtyard for the spectacular firework display. As Diwali is the Hindu festival of light, one of the main events of the evening was the bright, colourful firework display, symbolising
light over darkness. Diwali is one of the biggest Hindu festivals of the year, celebrating the triumph of good over evil. Lord Rama and Sita Devi were banished from the kingdom of Ayodhya for fourteen years, and whilst in exile, defeated the demon Ravana. On their return, they were welcomed back to Ayodhya by the villagers, who set out little divas (candles) along the streets to light their pathways home. After the magnificent firework display it was time to move into the main hall, where we had a mouth–
watering, Indian three-course meal. During the night we were lucky enough to watch performances from the two headline acts of the Indian music scene - Arjun and H-Dhami – as well as ‘Got to Dance’ semi-finalists Gaana Rajas and traditional Bharata Natyam dancers. The entertainment had definitely got the party started and then it was our turn to show off our Bollywood and Bhangra moves! Royal Holloway truly stole the dance floor for the night! Make sure to keep up to date with the Hindu Soc next year!
WANT YOUR CLUB OR SOCIETY TO FEATURE HERE? Whether you want to celebrate your competition successes, advertise fundraising attempts, invite students to events or just want more people to come along, this is the place to do it. We want quality content to keep coming in, so get involved now! sportsandsocs@theorbital.co.uk ISSUE 5
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This academic year has seen a lot of promise for Royal Holloway’s sports teams with vast improvements seen across the board in performances by all. Royal Holloway has entered 83 teams into BUCS for this season with a win rate of 48%! 10 of Royal Holloway’s sports teams are undefeated this year setting a fine example for the other sports teams to follow, Men’s Table Tennis, Men’s Football 2nd, Women’s Netball 2nds, Women’s Tennis 1st, mixed Lacrosse 1st, Women’s Football 2nd, Men’s Fencing 1st, Women’s Basketball 1st, Men’s Basketball 1st and American Football are all undefeated with 5 of these teams sitting pretty (yes even Ian Stewart, our very own VPSA, is managing to look pretty) at the top of their respective tables! American Football Quarterback Jake Wickham had the privilege of a group training session with NFL legend Joe Montana early in the term. Other strong starts to this year’s season have been seen across the board from the other sports teams and with a slight push they could also be contenders to push for the top spots.
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With only 1 loss this term and 4 wins, Men’s Rugby 1st top their league. A number of other teams are sitting comfortably mid table, Men’s Football 1st, Men’s Tennis 1st, Men’s Football 4th, Women’s Volleyball 1st, Men’s Squash 1st, Women’s Fencing 1st. Men’s badminton 1st team have adjusted nicely after suffering relegation last season – a win from their game in hand and they will move into second place! RoHo Snowsports have had an exciting term of dryslope racing. They are now gearing up to the infamous Winter Trip where that are heading to Alpe D’Huez with 144 students for a week of fun and destressing in the snow after a long term. All in all it has been a rather successful first term for our sports teams and we hope that we can take this momentum into the second term and finish the season strongly with trophies, league wins and promotions galore! ALEX REILLY-COOPER (SAC SPORTS COMMUNICATIONS REP)
SUKHPAL SINGH (SAC SPORTS REP)
sportsandsocs @ theorbital.co.uk
SPORTS & SOCIETIES
ISSUE 5
Dance Society also performed in A Night at the Theatre as well as holding their usual weekly classes and hosting a competition in which 16 other universities came and competed. As well as this they are currently preparing for their Around the World themed SU show in February! Media Society held a series of very successful talks (available on rhubarbTV) and have a Not Dead Yet social coming up to round off before the Christmas break! Humans vs Zombies had their first game Quarantine and a number of socials meaning that they are still as active as ever. PIR have continued to deliver following their win of Best Society at Societies Ball last year by organising the next National Model United Nations (top 10 in the world) trip to New York, holding numerous academic events, career workshops and even a trip to Prague! We’ve had a huge amount of language classes this term from a number of societies including French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese and Arabic which, you must admit, really offers something for everyone!
SOCIETIES
It has been an absolutely brilliant year so far for societies both old and new! The new Harry Potter society has taken everyone by storm with regular film nights, quizzes and a tour to the Harry Potter studios coming up in the New Year! Fitness society made a bright start, with a number of regular events, including talks with industry professionals and regular boot camps. The performance societies must have had absolutely no sleep this term with main shows from Drama Society with Betrayal and Blue Remembered Hills (as well as some cracking Holloway Players shows and the biggest UnScene festival they’ve ever had), the Musical Theatre Society with Little Shop of Horrors, Savoy Opera with the hilarious HMS Pinafore and Shakespeare Society with their post WWll inspired Much Ado About Nothing! We’ve had beautiful performances from Absolute Harmony and Gospel Choir including at A Night at the Theatre, the One World Evening and their joint Christmas Concert. Also, huge congratulations to Voices of Holloway on their performances at A Night at the Theatre and their beautiful Christmas Concert!
EMMA PEAGAM (SAC SOCIETIES COMMUNICATIONS REP)
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LEAVE YOUR MARK ON CAMPUS OR YOUR
Add your name to our special brick pathway and leave your permanent mark on the College We’re inviting Royal Holloway and Bedford New College alumni, students, staff and supporters to add their names to a special brick pathway, which will lead from Founder’s Building to our stunning new library when it opens in 2016. For a donation of £100, you can personalise one of the English Heritage-approved bricks with up to 32 characters and have it set into our walk of fame. At the same time, you’ll be helping Royal Holloway to move forward with its ambitious plans – and up the university rankings.
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BE A BRICK – BUY A BRICK Visit www.royalholloway.ac.uk/brick to give your name and pay online. Alternatively, you can call 01784 414478 to give your name and pay by credit card or cheque. You can even pay by monthly instalments of £5 via Direct Debit – just visit royalholloway.ac.uk/brick to set it up.
THE CURIOSITY PROJECT AT ROYAL HOLLOWAY FUELLING INQUISITIVE MINDS